All deliver adequate performance and are capable of 0-62mph in less than 10sec, although the larger-displacement units are more flexible and better suited to motorway cruising and cross-country driving.

Dual-clutch automatic gearboxes are available as well; whether you prefer the automatic or the alternative (and cheaper) manual option will primarily be a matter of personal preference. The DSG gearbox works very well in the Octavia, and goes about its job quietly and unobtrusively.

While the 1.6-litre diesel is mechanically refined and perfectly functional, it's slow – more than a second slower from rest to 62mph than Skoda’s claim for it and even further separated from the current class standard. The first problem is a decidedly ordinary engine. In the Skoda Octavia, the 1.6-litre turbodiesel seems quiet and flexible, but it responds sluggishly at low speeds. And then once it’s pulling, you can’t help but feel a little nonplussed by the maximum power and torque it serves up.

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That perceived shortage of urge is compounded by the engine's five-speed manual gearbox. Where most sub-100g/km diesels now give you a more closely stacked six-speed gearbox with which to charge their relatively modest powerplants, you’re stuck with five speeds here – and every ratio in it feels that bit longer and more laboured than it should. The end result is that the 1.6-litre diesel feels worthy and basic, or “like a bit of a plodder”, as one tester elegantly put it.